Phonograph



No. 609,268. Patented- Aug. 16, I898..

T. A. EDISUN.

PHONOGRAPH.

(Application filed Dec. 15, 1890.)

(No Model.)

m? m? I UNHFD STAT S PATENT Enron,

PHONOGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,268, dated August16, 1898. Application filed December 15, 1890. Serial No. 374,759. (Nomodel.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. EDISON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Llewellyn Park, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inPhonographs, (Case No. 883,) of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to phonographs in which diskphonogram-blanks 0r recordingsurfaces are used and in which the recordis formed in a spiral line on one face of the disk.

The invention consists in means for sup porting the blank and connectingit to the shaft by means of which the blank is rotated.

The invention also consists in means for moving the recorder,reproducer, and turning-off tool across the blank, whereby the opcrating-point is caused to follow a spiral track; and the inventionconsists in the several features and combinations hereinafter set forth.In the accompanying drawings,which ill nstrate the improvement, Figure 1is a plan View of the phonograph. Fig. 2 is an enlarged View, partly insection, of a part of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the phonogramand Fig. 5 shows means foradjusting the re,

corder and reprodncer.

The phonograph-shaft 1 is rotated at the proper speed by any suitablemeans. (Not shown.) At the upper end of the shaft is a holder or mandrel2 for the phonogram-blank 8, preferably made entirely of recording ma;terial, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The holder, which is rigidlyconnected to the shaft, con; sists of a disk with a tapering extension4:, as shown in Fig. 3, or of a disk with inclined sides, as shown inFig. 4. The blank is formed with a corresponding tapering recess oropening, so that it may be readily placed and centered on the holder andheld in position wholly by its frictional contact with the mandrel orholder.

5 is an arm carrying the recorder and re producer supporting ringfi andthe turningoff tool 7. The recorder and reproducer are carried by asingle diaphragm, as shown in Fig. 5, and as in my application Serial N0.

330,789, filed November 18, 1889. hen the diaphragm is turned to changethe points, the arm carrying said points may be tilted slightly to raiseone point away from the blank. The arm 5 is pivoted at 8 to a verticalaxis and at 9 to a horizontal axis, so that the arm may be moved acrossthe blank or may be moved toward or away from the blank.

10 is a feed screw driven by a suitable motor (not shown) which may beconnected to the screw by means of a worm-gear 11 or otherwise.

12 is a nut carried by arm 5 and cooperating with the screw. This nuthas a shank in the end of which is a pin 13, which rests in and moves inthe slot 14E in the cam-shaped rod 15. Rod 15 is held in a block 16,which can slide back and forth in the slot 17 in arm 5.

18 is a pin or handle by means of which 15 may be turned in its socket.

19 is a determining device pivoted to arm 5 and having an adjustablehead, as shown and as heretofore described by me.

20 is a speaking or hearing tube, and 21 is a spring or brush which rubslightly over the surface as the blank rotates and removes the shavingsand dust therefrom. A chnte 22 may be carried by the turning-off tool toconvey the shavings away from the blank.

' The above-described apparatus is used as' follows: The recorder andreproducer are adjusted away from the face of the blank and theturning-off tool is carried to the edge of the blank by moving arm 5 onits vertical pivot. The feed-screw isthen rotated and moves theturning-0E tool across the face of the blank and shaves oi the roughsurface thereof. When the tool reaches the center of the blank, arm 5 israised and the recorder adjusted into operative position, so that itextends below the cutting edge of -7. The recorder is then carried tothe center of the blank, and 12 is placed in contact with the screw, andthe recorder forms a spiral record in the well-known manner. By turningthe screw in the opposite direction the recorder may make itsrecord-from the edge of the blank toward its center. As arm 5 is movedby the screw the block 16 moves along in the slot 17 in view of thevarying distance between the pivot and the screw and the nut 12 isallowed to turn slightly, so that the working face of the nut shallalways rest properly on the thread of the screw. When it is desired toagain shave off the surface of the blank, the rod 15 is loosened freelyup and down in its support, so that it can move, and ,the arm 5 is movedtoward the blank until the determining device 19, which has beenpreviously put in the proper position relative to the knife 7, bears onthe surface of the blank. Thenut then rests on the screw, and thecamshaped rod 15 is turned slightly, causing it to bind in its socketand to be held in place. The determining device does not interfere withthe working of the knife, since as the blank revolves the device isswung to one side.

What I claim isv 1. A phonogram-blank for phonographs made in the formof a thick disk adapted to be shaved off a number of times to receivenew records, and provided with a central hole or depression formedperpendicular to and tapering toward the working surface, said hole ordepression being adapted to fit a tapering support, whereby the blankwill be centered and held in position wholly by friction, substantiallyas set forth.

2. A phonogram -blank for phonographs made entirely of recordingmaterial in the form of a thick disk adapted to be shaved off a numberof times to receive new records and provided with a central hole ordepression formed perpendicular to and tapering toward the workingsurface, said hole or depression being adapted to fit a taperingsupport,whereby the blank will be centered and held in position whollyby friction, substantially as set forth.

3. In a phonograph, the combination of a disk phonogram-blank orphonogram having a tapering opening, a tapering rotating mandrel forsupporting and rotating said blank, a recording or reproducing device,support for said recording or reproducing device, pivoted soas to becapable of movement toward and away from the blank, and means for movingsaid arm across the face of the blank, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a phonograph, the combination of a fiat phonogram-blank orphonogram, a recording or reproducing device, an arm carryin g saiddevice and movable toward and away from the phonogram-blank orphonogram, and a determining device for determining the adjustment ofthe arm relative to the phonogram-blank or phonogram, substantially asset forth.

5. In a phonograph, the combination of a fiat phonogram-blank orphonogram, a re cording or reproducing device, an arm carrying saiddevice and movable toward and away from the phonogram-blank or phonogramand across its face, and a determining device for determining theadjustment of the arm rela* tive to the phonogram-blank or phonogram,

substantially as set forth.

6. In a phonograph, the combination of a disk phonogram-blank, a holderfor supporting and rotating said blank, a recording device, adapted tobe moved across the face of said blank, and a tool for turning off theface of said blank, substantially as set forth.

7. In a phonograph, the combination of a disk phonogram-blank orphonogram, a rotating holder therefor, an arm carrying a recording orreproducing device, means for moving said recording or reproducingdevice across the face of the phonogram-blank or phonogram, aturning-off tool and a device for determining the position of said armrelative to the phonogram-blank or phonogram, substantially as setforth.

8. In a phonograph, the combination of a disk phonogram-blank, arecorder or reproducer, a support for said recorder or reproducer,pivoted so as to be capable of movement toward and away from the blankand across the face of the blank, a feed-screw, and a nut-sectioncarried by said arm and adapted to engage said feed-screw and wherebythe recording or reproducing device is caused to move across the face ofthe blank, substantially as set forth.

9. In a phonograph, the combination of a pivoted arm having two prongs,a recording or reproducing device carried by one prong, a turning-offtool carried by the other prong, and means for moving said arm relativeto the phonogram -blank or phonogram, substantially as set forth.

10. In a phonograph adapted to receive a disk phonogram blank orphonogram, the

combination of an arm having two prongs and pivoted to move toward andaway from the blank or phonogram, a recording or reproducing devicecarried by one prong, a turningoff tool carried by the other prong, andmeans for moving said arm across said phonogrami blank or phonogram,substantially as set forth.

11. In a phonograph adapted to receive a disk phonogram-blank orphonogram, the combination of an arm having two prongs and pivoted tomove toward and away from the blank or phonogram, a recording orreproducing device carried by one prong, a turningoff tool carried bythe other prong, a device for determining the position of said armrelative to the phonogram-blank or phonogram, and means for moving saidarm across said phonogram-blank or phonogram, substantially as setforth.

12. In a phonograph, the combination with a phonogram blank orphonogram, and a holder therefor, of a pivoted arm carrying a recordingor reproducing device,a feed-screw, and an adjustable connection betweensaid feed-screw and arm, whereby the position of the recording orreproducing device relative to the blank or phonogram may be adjusted,substantially as set forth.

13. In a phonograph, the combination with a phonogram -blank orphonogram, and a holder therefor, of a pivoted arm carrying a recordingor reproducing device,a feed-screw, an adj ustable connection betweensaid feedscrew and arm, and a device for determining the adjustment ofsaid connection, whereby the position of the recording or reproducingdevice relative to the blank or phonogram may be adjusted, substantiallyas set forth.

14. In a phonograph, the combination with a disk phonogram-blank orphonogram, and a rotating holder therefor, of a pivoted arm carrying arecording or reproducing device, a feed-screw, and an adjustableconnection between said feed-screw and arm, whereby the position of therecording or reproducing device relative to the blank or phonogram maybe adjusted, substantially as set forth.

15. In a phonograph, the combination with a disk phonogram-blank orphonogram, and a rotating holder therefor of a recording or reproducingdevice, a support for said device pivoted so as to be capable ofmovement toward and away from and across the face of the phonogram-blankor phonogram, a feedscrew for moving said arm across the face of thephonogram-blank or phonogram, and an adjustable connection between saidfeedscrew and arm, whereby the position of the recording or reproducingdevice relative to the blank or phonogram may be adjusted, substantiallyas set forth.

16. In a phonograph, a slotted recorder or reproducer carrying arm, ablock movable in said slot, a nut-section carried by the block, and afeed-screw adapted to engage said nutsection, substantially as setforth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 6th day of December, 1890.

THOS. A. EDISON.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. RANDOLPH, W. PELZER.

